Annie Leibovitz

Widely considered one of the most notable photographers of her generation, the work of Annie Leibovitz chronicles over four decades of art, music, fashion and celebrity. Known for her clear, cool palette, highly emotive portraits and elaborate editorials, Leibovitz became a household name in the 1970s, after being named chief photographer for Rolling Stone magazine in 1973. She remained at the music publication for ten years, shooting 142 covers and countless stories that followed the careers of music’s most influential icons—The Rolling Stones, John Lennon and Madonna. In the 1980s and 1990s Leibovitz joined the staffs at Vanity Fair and Vogue magazines, continuing to shape celebrity photography, citing the work of Richard Avedon as a key influence. Her precise tonalities, fantastic sets and cinematic style have made her one of the most sought-after photographers of the last twenty years. Leibovitz has also collaborated with many arts organizations, including American Ballet Theatre, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Mark Morris Dance Group, and with acclaimed dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. Publications of her work include Annie Leibovitz: Photographs, 1983, Photographs: Annie Leibovitz 1970–1990, 1991, Olympic Portraits, 1996, Women, 1999, American Music, 2003, and Pilgrimage, 2011.

Exhibitions of Leibovitz’s photographs have appeared at museums and galleries all over the world, including the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the International Center of Photography, New York, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, National Portrait Gallery, London, and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Leibovitz has been honored as a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress and is the recipient of many other awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Center of Photography, the Centenary Medal of the Royal Photographic Society in London, and the Wexner Prize.